“Man or woman?” asked Norah, briefly, and Wise glanced at her.
“Which do you think?”
“Woman,” she replied, and Penny Wise nodded his head. “Yes, I’ve no doubt ‘The Link’ is a woman, and a mighty important factor in the case.”
“But I don’t understand,” I put in. “What does she link?”
“Whom,—not what,” said Wise, and he looked very serious. “Of course, you must realize, Brice, there’s a great big motive behind this Gately murder, and there’s also a big reason for Amory Manning’s disappearance. The two are connected,—there’s no doubt of that,—but that doesn’t argue Manning the murderer, of course. No, this Link is a woman of parts,—a woman who is of highest value to the principals in this crime, and who must be found, and that at once!”
“Did she have to do with Mr. Gately?” asked Norah, her gray eyes burning with interest.
“I—don’t—know.” Wise’s hesitating answer was by no means because of disinclination to admit his ignorance, but because he was thinking deeply himself. “Look here, Brice, can’t we go over Gately’s rooms now? I don’t want to ask permission of the police, but if the Trust Company people would let us in——”
“Of course,” I responded, and I went at once to the vice-president for the desired permission.
“It’s all right,” I announced, returning with the keys, “come ahead.”
We went into the beautiful rooms of the late bank president.